Chapter236 – I missed you
The softness in her voice made his smile deepen. “Clarissa, you still haven’t answered my question.”
Her cheeks heated. With Oriana standing right beside her, watching with curious, sparkling eyes, Clarissa turned slightly away and lowered her voice. “I… want…”
So faint, almost a breath. Oriana didn’t catch it—and even through the phone, Atticus barely did. But the image of her whispering it, blushing, flashed in his mind, and his Adam’s apple bobbed as his eyes darkened.
“Good girl,” he said, his voice low, hoarse, and edged with desire. “I’ll make sure you feel it when I’m back…”
The promise in his tone sent Clarissa’s pulse racing. Her breath caught, and she felt heat prickle over her skin. Panicking that Oriana might notice, she blurted, “I—I have something else to do. I’m hanging up. Be careful, alright?”
Before he could reply, she ended the call.
Atticus stared at the blackened screen, his smile curling wider.
Little devil. She dared to hang up on him? She could just wait—he’d teach her a lesson she wouldn’t forget.
He slid the phone into his bag and walked toward the river. “Master, you’ve been scrubbing forever.”
Phoenix scowled, furiously scrubbing at her arms. “What kind of medicine sticks like this? I’ve washed and I still feel sticky!”
Nearby, Maximilian and Raphael had already stripped to their underwear and thrown themselves into the water, laughing like boys let loose. They claimed they smelled like perfume after the treatment, their manhood insulted by the scent, so they’d rushed to wash it off.
If she’d been born male, she would’ve torn off her clothes and leapt in herself. Damn it.
Atticus came closer, his tone amused. “Master, it’s the medicine you hate—not the one who gave it to you.”
Phoenix froze, then shot him a sharp glare. “You know.”
She rose to her feet, shaking water droplets from her hands.
“You’re done washing?” Atticus asked.
“They’re back. What’s the point?”
He followed her gaze and saw Maximilian and Raphael splashing back to shore.
Just as they reached for their clothes, Phoenix stalked toward them. Raphael yelped, covering himself. “Phoenix! What are you doing? I’m not even wearing pants—”
She rolled her eyes. “Please. You look like a half-grown bean sprout. Who would want to look at you?”
“Hey! Don’t say that. I clearly—”
His protest was cut short when Phoenix turned her gaze on him, sharp as a blade. Raphael paled and snapped his mouth shut.
“I’m warning you. None of you breathe a word about what just happened. Especially you—Atticus!”
Atticus raised his hands, expression innocent. “Why would I? There’s no benefit in sharing it. I don’t make a habit of talking to outsiders.”
Clarissa was never an outsider.
“Good.” Phoenix huffed, turning away. The whole incident had been humiliating enough. If word spread, she’d never live it down.
On the other side of the call, Clarissa hung up only to find Oriana staring at her, eyes sparkling like a gossip-hungry searchlight.
“Miss Clarissa, was that Atticus just now?”
Clarissa stiffened. “Did you hear that?”
“Nope.”
Clarissa exhaled in relief—until Oriana added slyly, “But your face is red, and you’ve got that shy little smile. That’s the look of a woman in love. It has to be Atticus.”
Clarissa touched her cheeks. Was it really that obvious? She quickly collected herself. “It’s getting late. Let’s go back.”
“Okay!” Oriana chirped, still smirking.
They returned to their rooms. Knowing Atticus was safe, Clarissa finally felt her chest loosen, the knot of anxiety unraveling. There was no need to call Delilah and the others now.
She had just sat down when a knock came at the door.
“Miss Clarissa, Mr. Upton is treating us tonight. He’d like you to join us.”
Her burned arm still ached, and she wasn’t hungry, but since Upton himself had extended the invitation, politeness demanded she attend. “Alright. Tell him I’ll come after I change.”
Oriana’s voice came through the door, cheerful as ever. “Got it. Don’t be late—everyone’s waiting!”
Clarissa smiled faintly. “I’ll be there.”
After changing, she headed out. The mountain path to the B\&B was dark, shadows pooling along the roadside. Clarissa pulled out her phone to light the way, the beam trembling slightly in her hand.
Behind her, footsteps broke the silence.
“Is that you, Oriana?” Clarissa called over her shoulder. “Didn’t I tell you not to wait for me?”
No answer.
Her brows furrowed. “Who’s there?”
Still silence, but the sound of someone closing in pricked her instincts. Clarissa’s pulse quickened, though she forced herself to walk steadily.
When the presence drew close enough to reach for her, she whipped around, seized the wrist, and snapped her phone’s flashlight on.
The pale beam caught a face—June.
Clarissa’s expression sharpened. “Why are you following me? Who the hell are you?”
June blinked, her voice smooth and unhurried. “Miss Clarissa, what do you mean? I was just passing by. Why did you suddenly grab my arm?”
“You dare deny it?” Clarissa shook her off. “I called out twice. You never answered. And you were about to lay a hand on me.”
“Are you being a little paranoid?” June’s smile was thin. “I wasn’t doing anything. You’re just still holding a grudge over the accident with the soup earlier. If that’s the case, then fine—I apologize again.”
Clarissa studied her for a moment, then let out a low laugh. “You know, I once had a classmate named June. But she wasn’t nearly as beautiful as you.”
“Oh? Really?” June’s fingers curled at her side, unseen in the dark.
“Yes. Not as pretty. Not as skilled at hiding her claws, either. That June was reckless, charging around pretending to defend her friends, but in truth she was just stupid. So stupid I couldn’t even be bothered to argue with her. In the end, she didn’t fare well at all—an old man named Darkwood…”
“Clarissa!”
June’s mask slipped, fury flashing across her face, her glare burning with a hatred that wanted to consume her.
Yes… it really was her. The years had polished her looks, refined her style, but the venom underneath hadn’t changed.
Clarissa tilted her head, voice sweet. “You look so angry. Why? Sticking up for someone who just happens to share your name? But if you’re not her, why lose your temper?”
“I’m not angry,” June bit out, jaw tight.
What a hypocrite, she seethed inwardly. Pretending to be so magnanimous, while dragging up that filthy stain of her past—Darkwood.
At that moment, Clarissa’s phone rang. She glanced down at the screen. William.
Perfect.
She answered, deliberately raising the volume. “William? It’s late. What’s the matter?”
Across from her, June’s body jolted violently, her gaze locked on the phone like a snake hypnotized by flame.
Clarissa’s eyes gleamed. Got you.
William heard Clarissa’s voice through the receiver, and a faint light flickered in his eyes. “I heard from Delilah that you went to City Y. I’m heading there soon as well—some geological research.”
“You’re coming too?” Clarissa’s voice lifted. “That’s wonderful.”
“Clarissa, I—” William began, but a girl’s voice cut him off. “I need to talk to her first. Give me the phone…”
The sound made Clarissa’s heart jump. She knew that voice.
“Delilah?”
“Clarissa!” the girl chirped, sweet as sugar. “Are you okay? Did you miss me?”
Clarissa’s features softened instantly. “Yes, I missed you so much. When are you coming here?”
“Very soon. I asked William to bring me. I was bored to death, so I came to stay at his place. It’s so much fun here, with so many things to see…”
Clarissa smiled warmly. “Good. I’ll wait for you.”
June couldn’t hear the other voices, but she saw the joy blooming across Clarissa’s face—and her eyes grew colder, darker.
So this bitch already had a boyfriend, and still she was playing games. Whispering with Atticus, now cozying up to William, tangled with Dorian too.
June remembered overhearing Dorian in his office not long ago—talking about banning Xerxes. Just for Clarissa’s sake, Dorian was willing to cast aside a golden goose, a celebrity worth millions in views.
Why?
Why did men fall over themselves for her? Why did Clarissa get devotion, indulgence, protection—while she, June, had been degraded and toyed with by that filthy old man Darkwood?
She couldn’t even meet William’s eyes without shame, but Clarissa had him wrapped around her little finger since their school days. He trusted her without question, adored her, was utterly hers.
Jealousy seared through June, black and poisonous, curling in her chest. She clenched her fists so tightly her nails bit into her palms.
The call ended. Clarissa’s face was radiant now, glowing with relief. She turned—and froze.
June stood before her, dressed in blood-red under the moonlight, her face twisted into something grotesque, like a ghost risen to drag her down.
“Ah!”
Clarissa screamed, stumbling back instinctively.
June lunged, eyes blazing with feral hatred. “You bitch! Die!”
Clarissa dodged, but the ground behind her gave way, the rocky edge crumbling beneath her boots.
She slipped, plummeting down toward the cliff’s edge. Her hands shot out, catching at jagged stone. “June!” she gasped, glaring upward. “It really is you!”
June leaned over her, her smile a razor’s edge. “So what if it is? I didn’t finish you off back then, but this time… let’s see you crawl out alive. I never touched you—you fell on your own. Remember that.”
She stomped the ground near Clarissa’s grip, sending sand and gravel cascading into her face. Clarissa coughed violently, choking on dust as her arms burned from the sharp rock slicing into her skin.
June’s laughter trailed behind her as she walked away, triumphant.
Clarissa clawed upward, but the stones cut deeper with every movement. Her strength drained fast, regret tightening like a noose around her chest. She had been too careless—too reliant on the “storyline” she thought she knew. In the books, June never had the courage to kill.
Her grip slipped. The darkness yawned below.
Then—hands. Strong fingers locked around her wrist.
Clarissa’s eyes shot up. “Mark?”
He held her with iron determination, his voice steady. “Don’t be afraid. Hold on to me.”
“You—” Clarissa’s lips trembled, words catching in her throat. Then her gaze flicked past him, horror striking her like a bolt. “Behind you! Be careful!”
Mark twisted just in time, kicking away the shadow that lunged at them. But the movement loosened the fragile ground. With a crack and scrape, the earth beneath them collapsed.
“Ah!”
Clarissa’s scream tore through the night as she and Mark plummeted.
He pulled her tight against him, shielding her body as they tumbled into the abyss.
The world spun violently. Clarissa’s vision blurred, the cliff and trees smearing into chaos. Then, blackness.